My dear friend, Monica, gave me a few of her old copies of Tathaastu Magazine: Eastern Wisdom for Mind, Body, Souland I just took the time to read through one of them tonight. I should be snuggled up in bed reading more, but I got so excited by one of the articles that I am now snuggled in bed writing about it so you can get excited too!

I will preface this by saying that I am not a huge follower of Depok Chopra. I don’t dislike the guy. He just seems a little bit like the Target of the wellness world (aka: very popular and watered down) and I am looking for something a little smaller and more intimate in my guidance. At any rate, he wrote an article that I read tonight and it’s called “Does Peace have a Future?” The article itself is fine- nothing revolutionary, although he talks a lot about the teachings of Jesus and that surprised me a little, but what I really liked were his “Seven Practices for Peace.” I am going to cut them out and put them up on my mirror, but I thought I’d also share there with you.

He gives us something to do each day to “become a peacemaker” and I just LOVE this idea! He breaks it down like this:

Sunday: Being for Peace

Monday: Thinking for Peace

Tuesday: Feeling for Peace

Wednesday: Speaking for Peace

Thursday: Acting for Peace

Friday: Creating for Peace

Saturday: Sharing for Peace

Each day there is something to do to encourage ourselves to be agents for peace, and help others tap into their own peacemaker.

Sunday: “Take five minutes to meditate for peace. Sit quietly with your eyes closed. Put your attention on your heart and inwardly repeat these four words: peace, harmony, laughter, love. Allow these words to radiate from your heart’s stillness out into your body. As you end your meditation, say to yourself: Today I will relinquish all resentments and grievances. Bring into your mind a grievance against someone and let it go. Send that person your forgiveness.”

Monday: “Thinking has power when it is backed by intention. Today, introduce the intention of peace in your thoughts. Take a few moments of silence and then repeat this ancient prayer: Let me be loved, let me be happy, let me be peaceful. Let my friends be happy, loved and peaceful. Let all beings be happy, loved, and peaceful. Let the whole world experience these things. If at any time during the day you are overshadowed by fear or anger, repeat these intentions. use this prayer to get back to your center.”

Tuesday: “This is the day to experience the emotions of peace. The emotions of peace are compassion, understanding, and love. Compassion is the feeling of shared suffering. When you feel someone elses suffering, understanding is born. Understanding is the knowledge that suffering is shared by everyone. When you understand that you aren’t alone in your suffering, there is the birth of love. When there is love, there is the opportunity for peace. As you practice, observe a stranger some time during your day. Silently say to yourself: This person is just like me. Like me, this person has experienced joy and sorrow, despair and hope, fear and love. Like me, this person has people in his or her life who deeply care and love them. Like me, this person’s life is impermanent and will one day end. This persons’ peace is as important as my peace. I want peace, harmony, laughter and love in their life and the life of all beings.”

Wednesday: “Today the purpose of speaking is to create happiness in the listener. Have this intention: Today every word I utter will be chosen consciously. I will refrain from complaints, condemnation, and criticism. Your practice is to do at least one of the following:

Tell someone how much you appreciate him or her

Express genuine gratitude to those who have helped and loved you

Offer healing or nurturing words to someone who needs them

Show respect to someone whose respect you value

If you find that you are reacting negatively to anyone, in a way that isn’t peaceful, refrain from speaking and keep silent. Wait to speak until you feel centered and calm, and then speak with respect. ”

Thursday: “Today is the day to help someone in need: A child, a sick person, an older or frail person, or someone facing a difficult situation. Help can take many forms. Tell yourself: Today I will bring a smile to a stranger’s face. If someone acts in a hurtful way to me or someone else, I will respond with a gesture of loving kindness. I will send an anonymous gift to someone, however small. I will offer to help without asking for gratitude or recognition. “

Friday: “Today, come up with at least one creative idea to resolve a conflict, either in your personal life or your family circle or among friends. If you can, try and create an idea that applies to your community, the nation, or the whole world. You may change an old habit that isn’t working, look at someone a new way, offer words you never offered before, or think of an activity that brings people together in good feeling and laughter. Second, invite a family member or friend to come up with one creative idea of this kind on his or her own. Creativity feels best when you are the one thinking up the new idea or approach. Make it known that you accept and enjoy creativity. Be loose and easy. Let the ideas flow and try out anything that has appeal. The purpose here is to bond, because only when you bond with others can there be mutual trust. When you trust, there is no need for hidden hostility or suspicion, the two great enemies of peace. ”

Saturday: “Today, share your practice of peacemaking with two people. Give them this text and invite them to begin the daily practice. As more of us participate in this sharing, our practice will expand into critical mass. Today, joyfully celebrate your own peace consciousness with at least one other person who shares a consciousness of peace. Connect either through email or by phone.

Share your experience of growing peace

Share your gratitude that someone else is as serious about peace as you are

Share your idea for helping the world move closer to critical mass

Do whatever you can, in small or large ways, to assist anyone who wants to become a peacemaker”

And if I can add one more thing here:

Each night, before you go to bed, say out loud five things you are grateful for. If you have a partner in bed with you, tell them 5 things you are grateful for related to them. If you do not, tell yourself 5 things you are grateful for about YOURSELF. I think one of the biggest things we can do to become peacemakers is to be kind and loving to our own selves.